Rotating wing machine



2- Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1948 Bummer RALPH 'l'ARSL-lli Gtiorneg Filed March 4, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zmnentor RALPH Tmsms R. TARSHIS ,485,333

ROTATING WING MACHINE Patented Oct. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROTATING WING MACHINE Application March 4, 1948, Serial No. 12,917

6 Claims.

This invention relates to helicopters.

A plurality of power-driven propellers are employed, for sustentation or lift, and also for propulsion; and, according to the invention is a paramountly important aspect thereof, each of one or more of the propellers present has its axis of rotation at an angle of substantially 45 and has its blades spaced circumferentially of said axis while arranged in such manner that each blade extends at an angle of substantially 45 to said axis.

Also, according to the invention, the blades of a propeller are feathered automatically for maximum efliciency in the work allotted to that propeller.

Any desired plurality of blades may be provided for each propeller, however many of the latter may be desired to be used and however the propellers may be spaced and/or grouped. Also, such blades may be of any suitable design; for instance, of the shape now or later standard in aircraft of the fixed wing type, or of any shape now or later found satisfactory in helicopters or Autogiros, or of some other suitable shape.

According to the exemplifying embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, tail propellers are employed for propulsion, and a plurality of other propellers placed forward of the tail of the fuselage and along the upper side portions of the latter are employed wholly or principally for lift and also when desired for dirigibility or steering.

According to a modification, which will be referred to later in some detail, a pair of tail propellers may be employed, to stabilize forwardtravel direction, and, when desired, usable also for changing direction to the right or left.

On the other hand, in carrying out the invention to obtain its salient advantages, tail propellers may be eliminated entirely, with forward travel obtained by means pursuant to another novel embodiment of the invention. According to this arrangement, a plurality of propellers are placed along the upper portions of each of the two opposite sides of the fuselage. These propellers are arranged in pairs, and with each propeller of a pair on opposite sides of the fuselage. The pitch set for the blades of the pair of propellers placed toward the tail end of the fuselage is greater than the pitch set for the blades of the pair of propellers placed next forward of'said tail adjacent pair. On each succeeding pair of propellers, if more than two pairs thereof are present, the blade pitch of each pair is set smaller than the bladepitch of the next pair therebehind. By this means, forward travel is obtained as well as lift. This graduated or progressive reduction in blade pitch, as between any pair of propellers and the pair next forward thereof, is effected when with the helicopter hovering it is to start forward travel.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a helicopter constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation thereof. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view, looking in the direction of the arrow 5 of Fig. 4, showing a propellers rotary mount for its blades (but with said blades omitted), and showing behind such mount a fixed cam forming part of the blade feathering means.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed sectional view, taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 shows in perspective an auxiliary member for operative connection to the root end of a propeller blade and carrying a cam-follower.

Fig. 8 is a sectional View taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, my helicopter is shown having a fuselage Ill provided with nose windows H and a door l2. This forepart of the craft is shown as interiorly provided with a pilots seat l4 and seats l5 for four passengers. For use in landing, a forward gear l6 and a tail-wheel I! are shown.

Four propellers l8, I9, 20 and 2| are mounted in wells 22, 23, 24 and 25 formed in the upper side of the fuselage ID for sustentation. The wells are open at their tops as shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, and downwardly somewhat rearwardly extended from the bottom region of each well there is an air tunnel as indicated in broken lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The air tunnels are marked 25, 26, 21 and 28, these respectively serving the wells 22, 23, 24 and 25.

A tail propeller 29 has its blades projected from a recess 30 formed in the tail of the fuselage; this propeller primarily for propulsion.

As will be understood, the invention is broader than the number of propellers used, or their relative placement, or, as already stated, the number and design of blades for any propeller.

The power drive for the various propellers is shown as from a suitable motor 3|. The nature of the power transmitting connections to the various propellers is not material to the present invention, but, as the same are here shown, such connections include a vertical shaft 32 from the motor 3| coupled to a main fore and aft extending horizontal shaft 33 by level gears 34 and 35 The drive from the main shaft 33 to a higher transverse shaft 36 (Figs. 2 and 4) from which the two propellers I8 and I9 are driven includes suitable gears in a box 38, said box entered by the shaft 33, and a vertical shaft 39 rising from the box 38.

In the box 38 there are gears which'shiftable by connections not shown having an actuator at the pilots station, for changing speed of the shaft 39 and for connecting or disconnecting the shaft 39 from the main shaft 33; these features, well-known in connection with the change-speed and clutch mechanism of an ordinary automobile, being omitted to keep the drawings as simple as possible.

A similar gear box 40 is provided, also having therein shiftable gears, and controllable in the same manner as above noted in connection with the box 38, relative to changing the speed of a vertical shaft 4| similar to the shaft 39 during drive of the latter from the main shaft 33, and for connecting and disconnecting the shaft 4 I The shaft 4! thus rising from the gear box 40 is connected with a higher transverse shaft 42 similar to the shaft 36 but located ahead of the latter to extend between the propellers 2!] and H as the shaft '35 is shown in Fig. 4 thus extended between the propellers I8 and I9. The shafts 41 and 42 are coupled by bevel gears like the bevel gears 43 and 44 which couple the shafts 39 and 3B.

The drive from the shaft 42 to the two propellers 2!! and 2] is like that illustrated for the drive from the shaft 35 to the two propellers I8 and I9. As shown in Fig. 4, on opposite ends of the shaft 36, there are mitre gears 45 and 46, the gear 45 meshing with a mitre gear 41 on the upper end of the outwardly and downwardly inclined shaft 48 of the propeller 1.8, and the gear 45 meshing with a mitregear 49 on the upper end of the outwardly and downwardly inclined shaft 55 of the propeller I9.

According tothe drive connections illustrated in Fig. 4, the two propellers I8 and I9 must either both rotate, or both cease rotation, under the control as aforesaid by way of the gear box 38.. However, as will be understood, the control may be such that either of such propellers may be disconnected from the power sounce while the other continues rotation. The means for permitting this is not illustrated, to avoid multiplying the drawings unnecessarily; but would be .according to elementary practise in the power trans" mission art.

Obviously, in substitution for the shaft 39, two such shafts could .rise from the box 38, and, in substitution for the shaft 36., two shafts could be employed, each connected by a pair of bevel gears to the upper end of a different one of the two shafts substituted for the shaft 39; with the parts in the gear box 38 .so arranged that connections to the pilots station would .allow him to shift the parts for rotation of either the propeller I8 or the propeller I9 at will. The same comments apply to the propellers 2|] and 2| and to the gear box 45 and the connections between the latter and the propellers 20 and 2i Since all four propellers I82I are similar, and served by similar fixed cams for feathering the propeller blades, it will suffice merely to describe in further detail the propeller I8. Referring in this connection to the left side of Fig. 4, the fixed cam 5| for the propeller I8 is suitably secured as by bracket 52 and. 53 and has a central opening 54 through which the propeller shaft 48 rotatively extends beyond the cam and has suitably fixed thereon a disc 55 from which the propeller blades are outward obliquely extended.

The shaft 418 and the disc rotated thereby are disposed at an angle substantially forty-five degrees from the horizontal. The propeller I8 like the other propellers I9, 20 and 2 I, each have three blades, each typical of a blade such as are common to the blades of the propellers used for planes of the fixed wing type. The blades of my propellers, however, extend at substantially forty-five degrees from the face of the discs so that one of the blades, such as 56, is disposed substantially horizontally, the other two project downwardly into the well 22; likewise the blades 'of the propellers I9, 2!! and '2 I rotate so that each blade successively advances to a horizontal position while the other two blades project downwardly into their respective wells. Thereby, when the helicopter is travelling forward, and when any propeller blade is depended vertically and is being feathered, it will be so located in its well that it is taken out of the slip stream of the air passing the fuselage, and thus the drag that might be created by the two vertical blades is eliminated.

.As the parts are viewed in Fig. 4,, the blades 5.! and '58 are vertically in line; and in order here also to show the lower portion of the blade '58, the blade 5.! is shown broken away at an intermediate point along its length.

Looking down on the top of the fuselage (Fig.

2), and facin the front of the fuselage, and con-- sidering each pair of propellers set opposite each other. one such propeller on one side of the fuselage and the other on the other side of the fuselage, all propellers on the right hand side of the fuselage must rotate counter-clockwise, and all propellers on the left hand side -of the fuselage must rotate clockwise. Each blade, as said blade crosses the horizontal, must travel in a direction toward the front of the helicopter to meet the oncoming stream of air which passes the helicopter .as it travels forward. And thus, without excessive pitch to the propeller blades, efficient sustentation or lift is accomplished for each propeller. The blades may be automatically feathered in such manner that, during their descending movements, they advance wholly or largely flatwisely the lifting action will be continuous during rapid whirling of the propeller. At the same time, that is, with each of the propellers I8, I9, 20 and 21 rotating in a direction such that each of the blades of any "propeller in horizontal travel at the top of its circular path must move forward toward the front of the helicopter, there will be as will become apparent when Fig. 8 is later fully discussed, an accompanying feathering of the blades as they move toward the tail of the fuselage and down into the wells 22, 23, 24 and 25 provided for the respective propellers I8, I9, 211 and 2|, there-v by to have the propellers assist strongly in forward propulsion of the craft.

is seen not only in Fig. 2 but also in Fig. 1.

The parts corresponding to the parts 5|, 52, 53, 54 and 55, and associated with the propeller l9, are respectively marked 5|, 52', 53, 54, and 55', as variously shown in Figs. 5-8. The blade corresponding to the blade 55 is marked 55 in Fig. 6, and the arrow 62, in Fig. 8 as in Fig. 4, indicates the hereinabove assumed direction of rotation of the propeller l9.

The blade 56 is at its root portion rotatively mounted in the disc 55', and inside the latter the blade has fixed thereon a mitre gear 63 meshing with a mitre-gear segment 64 integral with an auxiliary member 65 pivotally mounted at 66 on the disc 55' and carrying a stud 61 to act as a cam-follower relative to an endless camgroove 68 formed in the cam 5 l Each of the other two blades of the propeller I 9, these corresponding to the blades 51 and 58 of the propeller l8, are provided with parts corresponding to the parts 636'|, so that in the case of each of the two other blades of the propeller IS a stud corresponding to the stud 61 also coacts with the cam-groove 88. The three openings through the disc 55' of the propeller l9 for rotatably receiving the blades thereof are indicated in Fig. 5 at 69, I0, and H.

As is evident from Fig. 6, the fixed cam-groove 68 may be designed to variously depart from the circular at different points therearound, to cause predetermined angular movements of the auxiliary member 65 about its pivot 66, thereby, through the mitre-gear elements 64 and 63, variously to rotate the blades 56' about its own axis. With similar arrangements provided for the other two blades, all three blades will act alike in response to the shape of the cam-groove 68.

Referring in this connection to Fig. 8, the dot and dash delineations a, b, c, d, e and I may be taken as representing, in the case of the blade 56', the angle of the flat of that blade to the horizontal, when the root portion of the blade, with the propeller l9 travelling in the direction of the arrow 62', is at the angular positions indicated, respectively, at 56a, 56b, 56c, 56d, 56c, and 56;. The corresponding positions of the stud 61 are respectively indicated at 61a, 61b, 51c, 51d and 61a. The operative connection established by the parts 63-66 between the blade 56' and the cam-groove 68 is indicated at 69 when the pin 61 is at the position 61a, as then the central longitudinal plane through the member 65 and including the axis of its pivot 66 also includes therein the longitudinal axis of the blade 56. To keep Fig. 8 as clear as possible, the attempt has not been made to indicate the relative directions of extension of said plane and the longitudinal axis of the blade 56' in other positions thereof than the position 56a.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the tail propeller 29, primarily for forward propulsion, is also illustrated as having three blades, 29a, 29b and 290. If desired, suitable blade feathering means may be associated with this propeller, according to the principles described in connection with Figs. 5-8, or otherwise.

The power drive for the propeller 29 is shown as including a shaft 19 driven from the gear box 38 and leading to a gear box 14, and a shaft 15 extending from the gear box 14. The shaft inclined at an angle of 45 to the horizontal, and

6. 15 may be, by way of the gear box 14, coupled to or uncoupled from the shaft 13, and given desired changes of speed, by connections not. shown having an actuator at the pilots station, for shifting gears in the gear box 14; these arrangeznents are well-known as aforesaid in connection with the gear-shift mechanism of an ordinary automobile. The shaft 15 is connected, by bevel gears 16 and IT, with the main shaft 18 of the propeller 29.

' Selective use of the lift propellers ll-2|, in various combinations of one or more, mayberelied on for directional steering or for ccmbatting any tendency of the propeller 29, when not a contra-rotative one, to impart a direction chan'ge' laterally of the intended line of flight. The propeller 29 could of course be a contra-rotative one.

Instead of making the propeller 29 a contra In connection with the helicopter herein shown and described, I find that I have accomplished the elimination of torque, and some of the advantages gained by this elimination are as follows: (1) the discarding of the extended tail with its vertical rotor, and all the additional weight this entails; (2) the accomplishing of a great reduction in drag; (3) the obtaining of increased speed; (4) the production of a very effective lift,- since the propeller blades always meet the air streams when the helicopter is travelling forward. I

While I have illustrated and described vthe preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as delined in the appended claims.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, .and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a helicopter, the combination with a fuselage of a lift and propulsion means therefor consisting of rotatable elements and a power means for rotating said elements, said elements including a propeller having blades and a shaft tation of the propeller shaft, said feathering means including a fixed cam having an endless cam groove, said groove being in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the propeller shaft, each of said blades being rotatively mounted and said feathering means further including for each blade a follower for said groove, a pivotally mounted member carried by the propeller and carrying said follower, and an operative connection between said member and the blade associated therewith for rotating that blade about its axis when said member angularly moves in response to action of said groove on said follower.

2. In a helicopter, the combination with a fuselage of a lift and propulsion means therefor consisting of rotatable elements and a power means for rotating said elements, said elements including a propeller having blades and a shaft inclined at an angle of 45 to the horizontal, and

the extension of said blades from said shaft be- 7.. ing at substantially a 45 angle to the axis of saidshaft, there being a plurality of said propellers. with at least two thereof near the tail of the fuselage and with at least two others thereof at each of the two sides of the fuselage, the two propellerslast named being in open topped wells on the fuselage, said wells having air inlet openings-at their bottoms, the tops of said wells being near the top of the fuselage, each of said wells being so located below the outer end of the shaft of itsassociated propeller and being so shaped at its said top that as each blade of that propeller moved down into dependence vertically from the propeller said blade is housed in said wellto remove it from the slip stream of the air passing the fuselage.

3. In a helicopter, the combination with a fuselage of a lift and propulsion means therefor consisting of rotatable elements and a power means for rotating said elements, said elements including a propeller having blades and a shaft inclined at an angle of 45 to the horizontal, and the extension of said blades from said shaft being atsubstantially a 45 angle to the axis of said shaft, there being a plurality of said propellers with at least two thereof near the tail of the fuselage and with at least two others thereof opposite each other at both sides of the fuselage at a point along the fuselage intermediate the forward and after ends thereof, said propeller being arranged in pairs with the propeller of one pair at one side of the fuselage and-the other propeller of that pair at the other side of the fuselage, and said power means being connected to the propellers .for rotating all propellers on both sides of the fuselage in such directions that the blades of said propellers when in horizontal travel at the tops of their circular paths move toward the front of the fuselage.

4. In a helicopter having propeller rotating means and a fuselage having a plurality of wells each open at the top and bottom and disposed at the sides of the fuselage and a pluralityof propellers each having blades extending down into its respective well and propeller shafts 'angularly disposed in relation to the horizontal rotated by said rotating means, each propeller having a blade during a revolution disposed to extend substantially horizontally and beyond the respective side of the fuselage and also duringa revolution to extend substantially vertically down into its respective well.

5. In a helicopter having propeller rotating means and a fuselage having a plurality of wells each open at, the top and'bottom and disposed at the sides of the fuselage and a plurality of propellers each having blades extending down into its respective well and propeller shafts angularly disposed in relation to the horizontal rotated by said rotating means, each propeller having a blade during a revolution disposed to extend substantially horizontally and beyond the respective side of the fuselage and also during a revolution to extend substantially vertically down into its rev spective well and means for changing the pitch of each blade between its horizontal position and its vertical position when in its respective well.

6. In a helicopter having propeller rotating means and a fuselage having a plurality of wells each open at the top and bottom and disposed at the sides of the fuselage and a plurality of propellers each having blades extending down into its respective well and propeller shafts angularly disposed in relation to the horizontal rotated by said rotating means, each propeller having a blade during a revolution disposed to extend substantially horizontally and beyond the respective side of the fuselage and also during a revolution to extend substantially vertically down into its respective well and means for changing the-pitch of each blade between its horizontal position and its vertical position when in its-respective well. said plurality of wellscbeing disposed to expose each blade, when horizontal, to the airstream passing said fuselage and to remove said blade from the air stream passing said fuselage when said blade is in its vertical position.

RALPH TARSHIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS Germany Jan. 8, 1930 

